Lagarpe: The Swiss Who Raised a Tsar

Frédéric-César Lagarpe lived for 84 years. During this time, he repeatedly fulfilled numerous various public and state functions: for example, he was an amateur naturalist, founded a local museum, wrote political pamphlets and school textbooks, acted as a lawyer in court, participated in diplomatic negotiations, sat in parliament, and even at one time "was granted supreme authority" over all of Switzerland. However, he always considered one thing the most important in his life — his personal connection with Emperor Alexander I, for whom he served as a tutor and teacher for 11 years. Their friendly relationship, mutual trust, and shared worldview greatly influenced the Russian Tsar, as Alexander I's views were largely shaped by Lagarpe himself. The book introduces readers in Russia for the first time to the unique role of the Swiss in Russian and world politics.